Boston Children’s Hospital’s shared mission for clinical and basic research is to alleviate and prevent human suffering caused by illness, and it is our aim to assist researchers that work in this common effort.  We strive to maintain a climate in which the highest standards of research integrity and responsible conduct can flourish by upholding the core values of science: objectivity, honesty, openness, accountability, fairness, and stewardship.

Key processes for maintaining research integrity include mentorship, independent peer review and oversight, reproducibility, and accountability at each stage of research. Our Research Misconduct Policy addresses the instances in which some or all of these processes are alleged to have broken down.

Boston Children’s Hospital does not engage in retaliation or retribution against good faith reporters.

Research misconduct is fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results.

  • Fabrication is making up data or results and recording or reporting them.
  • Falsification is manipulating research materials, equipment, or processes, or changing or omitting data or results such that the research is not accurately represented in the research record. It does not include honest error or differences of opinion.
  • Plagiarism is the appropriation of another person’s ideas, processes, results, or words without giving appropriate credit.

Contact

For reporting allegations of research misconduct and other concerns, contact the Research Integrity Officer for Boston Children’s: rio@childrens.harvard.edu or call the anonymous Compliance Department Hotline: 888-801-2805.

Fariba Houman, PhD
Research Compliance Officer
617-919-1573

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)

Boston Children’s Hospital established the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) seminar program to provide education in integrity in science as required by NIH. The course is designed to increase investigators’, trainees', and administrators' awareness of ethical issues involving normative research practices. The curriculum has been updated to ensure compliance with NIH standards.

Find more information and a course description here.